From the President

Over the past 5 years, the Desert Ridge Community Association (DRCA) has worked closely with the Phoenix Police Department to reduce crime in our community. Our off-duty officer patrol has been extremely effective; working with other programs, we have reduced crime rates by over 50% in the past 5 years.

While our crime stats are among the lowest anywhere in Phoenix, there is still crime in Desert Ridge. We were all painfully reminded of this fact recently, when Pinnacle High School was vandalized with racist symbolism and wording. Fortunately, the programs and relationships we’ve built for combating crime worked as designed, allowing the DRCA to respond quickly and enhance the efforts of local law enforcement. Within days, a joint press conference featuring the DRCA was held at Phoenix Police headquarters announcing a $2,500
Silent Witness reward. The event was well attended and broadcast by every major local news organization. This was an important opportunity for our community to publicly condemn such racism and assist the Phoenix Police Department. Our efforts paid off, as the Silent Witness Program received a tip leading to the arrest of four juveniles. These recent events highlight the benefits of working with police to develop resources, relationships and programs to reduce and respond to crime in our community. I’d like to ask you to work with us as well.

3 Easy Steps To Reduce Crime

1. Keep your valuables out of sight
2. Lock your car, lock your side gate and don’t leave your garage door open
3. Know the neighbors on both sides of your house and the 3 across the street

In Desert Ridge, we don’t have violent crime; what we have is property crime, also called “crimes of opportunity”. Statistics show that over 75% of the crime we experience occurs because homeowners leave valuables in plain sight completely unsecured. By following the 3 easy steps above, we can all play a role in reducing crime and making Desert Ridge the safest community in Arizona. As always, I thank you for your support and look forward to seeing you in the neighborhood.

Doug Dickson
President
Desert Ridge Community Association Board of Directors